Defending the Land
by Anezcake
Summary: Link will never stop fighting for Zelda, even when great evil drags them to a foreign land below their safe clouds.Takes place during the game, and a little bit after. ZeLink, rated M for later chapters.
1. Goodnight

Chapter 1 ~ Goodnight

Her eyes had just started to adjust to the darkness in the hallway outside her bedroom door. The stairway leading to the bottom first floor was only a few feet away. Her fathers room across from hers. She edged past the creek in the floorboards, by then knowing exactly where to step to avoid it, took every-other stair down to the floor. At the bottom she stopped and listened for a moment. A few snores from some of the other boys' rooms. Quietly she snuck past them before stopping at her destination. She didn't bother to knock, knowing he had fallen asleep waiting for her. Slowly she pushed the door open, if she pushed to fast there would be a horrible screeching sound. Again, she slowly closed it behind her.

His room was long, but narrow. Book shelves lined the right, and in the left corner was his bed. She could see him splayed across it, his chest rising and falling. A few steps and she was sitting beside him in the bed. With her small hands, she shoved him genially.

"Link," She hissed. "Link, wake up."

Links blue eyes opened slightly, he murmured some slurred words, she was un-able to understand, before he blinked away his sleep and focused on her. "Oh, Zelda." He sighed, pulling her down on top of him for a hug. He had always done this, ever since she started sneaking into his room late at night to talk, but lately it was taking a different effect. Her heart beat speed up when her chest hit his and she felt her face heat up. "Whats wrong?" He asked, letting go of her.

She sat up and shook her head. "Nothing, just a little worried." She said, not completely lying. "The wing ceremony is tomorrow, and you never get enough sleep-"

"Because of you!" He laughed, then clamped his hand over his mouth. She gave his a dirty look.

"Sometimes. But that doesn't excuse your lack of effort in practicing with your Lofting. I'm afraid someone else might win." She exhaled sharply.  
He put his hand under her chin and made her look at him. "Are you doubting me?" He asked her. She looked into his eyes, his face was only inches away. She closed her eyes and seemed to prepare herself. "Zelda?"

She shook her head, and opened her eyes. "Uh, no, I'm sorry. I'm just stressing myself. Your my best friend. I don't want you to lose." Link had already dropped his hand from her face, and then leaned back against the wall. Un-expectedly, he grabbed Zelda around the waist and pulled her down with him. Her cheek landed against his chest and he held her there.

"Zelda, you worry to much. I would ask you not to, this may sound selfish, but, I love it when you worry about me. It lets me know you care, actually care. Other people care about me, but its not the same way. They want to make sure I'm okay, but that's because they feel sorry for me. You, though, you actually spend time with me, you boss me around, your nice to me, your there for me. Your all I have. And it makes me happy, knowing I worry you." Link was never much for talking, he was more silent, and when he did talk, it was only to Zelda, or a very few words, and nothing more. But this was a lot for him, and it made Zelda tear up. She balled up her fist in Link's thin night shirt and blinked back the tears, feeling stupid. She wasn't quite sure what to say though. "You don't have to say anything, just stay here a little longer. Until I fall asleep. " He said, as if reading her mind. She nodded. "Also, I'll meet you by the Goddess Statue before the ceremony. Promise."

After a little while Links breathing became deep and his grip around Zelda's waist loosed. She pulled herself into a sitting position on his lap. He looked so peaceful as he slept, with a small smile on his lips. She put her pointer finger gently to his bottom lip, it was softer then she would imagine. She then pressed her own lips against his forehead for a minute, then quietly, she snuck out of his room and back to hers to sleep for a few hours before she had to wake up.

Link sat in the grass and looked around. The place he had dreamed up was beautiful. Tall, green trees danced around him in the wind, flower flowed and glistened with dew in the morning sunlight. It was breath-taking. The only thing that would make this better, though, was if Zelda were with him. Then the dream would have been perfect.

But the amazing scenery didn't last long, soon the earth opened up before him and a giant beast with red eyes and slick, black scales erupt from the crack. Way about the tree-tops the beast screeched out, its mouth opening wide, exposing rows of enormous teeth.

Somewhere off in the distance someone called out. "Rise, Link! The time has come for you to awaken... You are fated to have a hand in a great destiny, and it will soon find you... The time has come, Link."

The beast screamed out one last time and Link shielded himself from harm.


	2. Distractions

Chapter 2 ~ Distractions

A large purple Loftwing stared Link down threw the window. He had woken him from his nightmare by spitting a letter into his face. Link bent over, picked it up, and read it.

"Hey, sleepyhead. I know how much you like to sleep in, so I'm guessing this letter will be your alarm clock this morning. Did I guess right? Rise and shine, Today's the Wing Ceremony. You promised to meet me before it starts, remember? Also, sorry for waking you last nigh.  
-Zelda"

He smiled down at the paper and shook his head. He soon after left his room. In the hall he saw Pipit, looking at a cork-board.

"Morning, Link!" The knight dressed in yellow said. "Are you ready for the wing Ceremony? Everyone else is out practicing, you seem a bit relaxed about the whole thing. Of course, your crimson Loftwing is something else. Id feel pretty confident riding him, too. My Loftwing won me the last ceremony, but if I had been in this years, I think I would lose to that red terror of yours... Anyways, if you ever want to know anything about the Loftwings, come talk to me." Link nodded and started to walk away when Pipit called back, "Oh, and Good luck. I heard Zelda is playing the part of the Goddess, and if you win, we all know what that means!" He laughed.

Link blushed and hurried down the hall, thankful not to see anyone else.

Outside the Academy someone called out to him. "Hey, Link! Up here!" He looked up to see Horwell, the Wing Ceremony instructor, up on the roof of the Academy. "Good Morning. Do you mind coming up here, I have something to ask you." Link looked around, trying to find a way up. He spotted a stack of large boxes and run up them, grabbling the ledge and hoisting himself up. He walked over the where Horwell was standing. "I hear Zelda is waiting for you, well, if your not in TOO much of a rush, her father, Headmaster Gaepora, has a pet named Mia, and he's asked me to look for her, but I cant find her , would you mind...?" Link shook his head.

"Sorry, but if I don't go now, I wont have any time to practice."

"Oh, that's alright. Good luck!"

Link waved Farwell and headed towards the stairs leading up to the Goddess Statue. "Liiinnnkkkk," Someone called just to the left of him. He felt anger boil in the pit of his stomach but swallowed it back and faced the man. "Just wanted to wish you luck." The man called again, and waved him on.

Thank Goddess, he thought to himself. He was never rude, but he was close to telling the next person who distracted him from finding Zelda to screw off.

He headed up the stairs. He remembered how when he was younger he was terrified of going up the stairs, looking down to see nothing underneath supporting the stair scared him. He didn't want to fall off the island and into the clouds.

"Don't worry," A young Zelda had told him. "It wont break. And even if it did, the nights will swoop in with their Loftwings and catch you."  
He smiled at the memory of his best friend, and put his hand on the rail. He wasn't afraid of the fall anymore, knowing it would never happen.

At the top of the stairs, through the arch, he spotted Zelda, who was facing the opposite direction. He couldn't help himself as butterflies flew in his stomach and a smile spread across his face. Zelda was singing the Ballad of The Goddess and playing the harp. Halfway through she turned and saw Link, cutting herself off.

"Hey, Link." She said quietly, sharing his warm smile. "I'm glad to see you out of bed. I was afraid I had kept you up too late and you would sleep in and forget to meet me this morning. But anyways, look at this outfit, and the harp. They are both mine to use in the ceremony. Between them, Ill make a great goddess today. I got you up so early because I wanted you to be the first one to see me like this. So how do I look?" She said and spun around in a small circle.

Link swallowed hard. "You... You look beautiful." He choked out, his heart beating faster. He watched as Zelda's cheeks turned bright pink. She hadn't been expecting him to say that.

"The-thank you." She stammered. Link seized the moment and took a step closer, closing in the space between the two. His heart beat on the inside of his chest, threatening to explode, his palms felt sweaty. For some time now, he had wanted to do this, and this was the perfect opportunity. He tilted his head down, and Zelda seemed to stand on her toes, their lips just an inch away from the other.

"Zelda!" He father yelled somewhere behind them, and they both jumped away from each other. "Ah, there you are. Are you ready for the ceremony?" He said, coming into view from the other side of the archway.

"Hello. And yes, I am."

"Link, you're here too. Good, good. Its nice to see you up early for a change. If you win today, you get to participate in the post race ritual with Zelda, so try your best."

"I'm not sure if he can do it!" Zelda exclaimed. Link closed his eyes tight and felt the pain show on his face. "He hasn't practiced a lot lately, and when he IS riding his Loftwing, he's doing so lazily." Link looked down at the ground, feeling embarrassed. "I don't know what he's thinking. He will need to try really hard if he wants to win." Did she forget he was there?

"He will do just fine. Though I haven't seen him practicing as hard as the other students, like you said." Yeah, there might as well had been an invisibility cloak over his head. "But you should know him better than anyone else, and to not worry about him so much. Her father went on about how Link and his bird had a connection. Zelda found herself staring at the young man, and he looked at her, neither daring to pull their gaze away from the other. "They were meant for each other." She heard him say. She knew he was talking about Link and his Loftwing, but she couldn't help but picture her in Links arms. "Anyone who is a part of something special is bound to catch some nasty look sooner or later." Zelda sighed.

"Don't laugh! He's training to become a knight! If he doesn't win... What if he can't become a night?" Sadness washed over the girl's features.  
"Like I said, Link will do fine." She looked up to her father, smiled, and nodded.

"Okay, Link, you better try your best today. And practice as hard as you can before the ceremony later." She grabbed his hand and started to drag him over to the dock off the island. "Go on, Jump off! Call your Loftwing." She said, shoving him closer to the edge.

"Zel-Zelda, wait... I can't sense my Loftwing..."

"Sure," She said, rolling her eyes, "You're not fooling me. Off you go." She said, shoving him off.

He called for his Loftwing but nothing happened. Zelda realized something was wrong and dived after him, steadily catching up with him. The bird caught him gently in his talons and pulled him skyward, then they crashed back to the island.

"Well that's odd..." The headmaster said. Link rolled his head over to see him, and gave him a look that said, 'No shit?' Thank Goddess he was looking the other direction. Link stood up, shaking off the light feeling he had from the fall.

"I'm so sorry, Link. I should have believed you. I'm really, really sorry." Zelda pleaded. "Ill help you look for your Loftwing in a little while, alright?" Link nodded. "Sorry again!" She cried out as Link jogged off to find his Loftwing.

Ten minutes later Link walked past a big oak out by the Bazaar when he heard someone talking. What he heard caught his attention. "That bird sure was a pain with all that pecking a scratching, Groose."

"Of course it was. A big Crimson Loftwing like that wasn't going down with out a fight." He heard the large, muscular red-head snort. Slowly he starting walking towards their place on the docks. "But we got him, and he's not getting out any time soon.

Cawlin looked up then an saw Link stalking slowly towards them. Horror filled his face and he motioned to Groose's other goon who also took notice. They both jumped from their seats and started walking backwards away from Link. Groose stood up and turned to face him.

"Have you been EVESDROPPING on OUR conversation?" He said, jabbing a thumb back towards his followers.

"I have a right to. You WERE talking about MY Loftwing." Link growled.

"Ha, why should I? He's nothing to worry about, seeing as you can't seem to find him. I guess you will just have to forfeit. Oh, you want me to forfeit so you can win the race by default? Not going to happen. Sorry." He laughed. "I can see how upset you are in those dopey eyes of yours."  
"Dopey eyes? Is that the best you can come up with?" Link snorted.

"Shut up and let me talk." Groose demanded, taking a step closer to the smaller boy. "You wanna win so you can get some alone time with Zelda, right?" He slipped his large hand under Links jaw and yanked his gaze to Groose's face. "Too damn bad. You know, were all getting tired of how you never let anyone forget you and Zelda go way back. You've been friends since you were kids? Big fucking deal. That doesn't mean you should act like an arrogant asshole about it. You're really close to getting your ass kicked by me ... again."

Link rolled his "dopey" eyes. "Groose, how about you shut the fuck up. YOU grow a backbone, and screw with someone whose not half your size. Not like I couldn't take you, or anything, its just making you look like a pathetic asshole." Link smiled as Groose went from haughty, to pissed.

"You better watch what you say to me, or I swear I will knock that over-sized head of yours right off your-"

"Whets that your saying, Groose?" Zelda said, seeming to appear out of mid-air.

"Oh... Zelda, hey! No.. no... this isn't what it looks like... sounds... uh..."

She placed a small, firm hand on Links chest and pushed him out of her way, putting herself in Groose's line of view. "Don't give me that. Your bullying Link again, aren't you? Why do you insist on doing this so much? Are you by any chance JEALOUS of him?"

"I ... I suppose..." He gulped, stepping back a few feet as Zelda shoved a finger in his face.

"You suppose?" She questioned.

Groose's eyes seemed to glaze over and he gave a goofy smile. "I... I..." Then he snapped out of it, his face turning red. "Forget about it. Forget about both of you. Come on, guys, lets get out of here." He said, motioning to the edge of the docks. All three jumped off the edge, without another word.

"I hate to say it, but I think they may have hidden your Loftwing, Link." Zelda sighed, turning to face him. "Ill go get my Loftwing and search the air, how about you ask around and see where your Loftwing may be?" She suggested.

"Alright..." Link murmured, then turned to leave again, but Zelda grabbed his hand. It felt large and warm under her tiny fingers. She shivered, then shook it off.

"I promise we will find it before the ceremony, alright?" Link nodded, and Zelda leaned up and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Zelda..." He whispered, and squeezed her hand, not hard enough to hurt it, though. "Ill see you soon." And with that she watched him jog away. She turned then, and ran off the docks, calling her Loftwing. Within moments, she felt the soft purple feathers beneath her fingertips and she ran them through. She smiled and hugged the purple bird tight, not afraid she would fall, though. She replayed the earlier encounter with Link.

Had he almost kissed her? Her stomach gave a small flip just thinking about it.

She knew she should be helping to look for Links Loftwing, but suddenly something happened.

"Zelda... the time is near... " A voice seemed to whisper to her. It had happened before, the same voice. Sometimes it spoke to her in her dreams. She wondered if anyone else could hear it, or if it were only her. Cautiously, she looked over her Loftwing down to the clouds below. She wondered what could be down there. When her mother was still alive, she would tell her stories about what was down there. Monsters, Beautiful creatures, even other people. She sighed and leaned forward on her Loftwing, dozing off slightly.

"ZELDA!" His voice called out. Zelda's head snapped up out of her daze and she lead her Loftwing to follow his voice. She soon found him back behind the waterfall and jumped off to meet him.

"Any sign of your Loftwing?" She asked. He shook his head. Then she heard it again.

"Zelda..."

"Huh? Who said that? Oh, sorry about that Link ... anyways, lets go." She went ahead, pulling Link by the hand with her. Just around the corner was his Loftwing in a shallow cave, boarded up.

"I'm going to beat the shit out of Groose." Link muttered, pulling a sword from a sheath he must have just gotten. He hacked away at the wood, letting the Crimson bird free. "I'm sorry, he will pay for this." Link promised the bird.

"You should go ride her." Zelda suggested. Link wrapped his arm around her lower back and pulled her to him.

"I'm going to win today. I promise." He whispered into her hair. His lips brushed the top of her head. He takes a step back from her and studies her face. "You do worry, way too much." He ran back and jumped on his loftwing, then sore high about the clouds, as Zelda stood and watched.

**A/N: The first chapter is always the best... But I'm going to keep trying, and finish this story. I rote each chapter ahead of time and will come out with a new one chapter every week. This is my first *published* fanfiction, and reviews would be nice. 3**


	3. The Celebration

Chapter 3 ~ The Celebration

Link held tight to his loftwing, clutching the bright red feathers in between his fingers, trying not to hurt the beautiful bird. Air rushed around the young mans face, a buzzing noise in his ears. He leaned forward encouraging the bird to go faster. _Come on_, he thought,_ its RIGHT THERE_.

Fifteen feet in front of him was a shining bright yellow bird holding a small statue in its talons. The crimson bird gave a lurch forward, and the statue was within reach. Slowly, Link leaned forward stretching his fingers out to grab it. His finger tip brushed the smooth surface just ask a large clump of rock and mud hit him in his side. Knocking him almost off the bird.

Link turned his head to see where the flying mass had come from just to see Groose surpass him and go for the statue. Another clump hit him in the face, laying him flat on the bird. Sitting up, he wiped the muck off his face and saw it was one of Groose's friends hurdling the mud. He murmured to himself in disgust and continued forward to try and beat Groose.

He had no reason to worry, within a minute he had passed Groose again and was closing in on his target. The yellow bird turned left and the red on followed, beating his wings as fast as he could. The bird was a foot away and again Link started to reach for the statue, preparing for mud. He was about the grab it when another ball hit him. Gritting his teeth and stabling himself on the bird, he reached forward, wrapped his fingers around the statue, and pulled it from the yellow bird.

"YES!" Link exclaimed. Another ball of mud hit him in the back of the head with quite a bit of force but Link brushed it off, not even angry that he would probably have to scrub his hair a few times to get it out. He had won, he was going to be a night and would be able to protect the Skyloft with his fellow companions. A smile broke out on his face as he came closer the floating island and heard the crowd cheer.

The crimson loftwing landed and Link lowered himself off it's back as the crowd came to congratulate him.

Headmaster Guapore stood there, towering over him. "Good job Link. Now you need to take the stone up to the Goddess statue to finish the ceremony. Zelda is up there waiting for you." Link nodded his head and re-mounted the bird. He already knew what he had to do, this Ceremony took place every 6 months. Even though he had not been in one before, he knew the rules.

On the Goddess statue, Zelda sat and watched the bright red bird circle the statue a few times before landing beside her.  
"Hey." She said quietly. Link smiled and nodded. "I'm really glad you won the race."

"Yeah." He agreed, dismounting his Loftwing. "I am too."

"Okay, Link, hand me that Bird Statuette. I'm going to offer it to the Goddess." Link handed her the statue and she placed it in a small whole in the Goddess statue and grabbed her harp. She strummed the chords of the Ballad of the Goddess and hummed the words. When she was finished she held her hand out to Link, and he placed his on her palm and kneeled down.

"Great Goddess, guiding light and protector of our people, grant us your blessing and mercy as I act in your stead during this ceremony. Valiant youth who grasped victory at the celebration of the bird folk … In accordance with the old ways … I now bestow the blessing of the goddess upon you." She smiled down at him and reached behind her back and un-knotted her shawl. "The blessings of the Goddess drift down from the heavens aloft a sail, which I now pass on to you." She then handed him the cloth. "That is a sail cloth, Link, so you can jump from high places without hurting yourself…. You know…" She started to whisper. "They say that the Goddess gave a sailcloth to her chosen hero. I made this one, though, and I'm really glad I got to give it to you.

"Thanks for making it up here to do this with me today." Link nodded and Zelda took a few steps forward, closing the space between the two. "Now, we really should finish up this ritual…. You do know what happens at the end, right?"

"Uh…"

"You should know, I thought you would've figured it out." She took one final step, leaning her face into his, noses almost touching. Link held his breath, was she going to kiss him? "You have to jump off the statue!" She laughed, turning him to face the edge, he let all the air in his lungs loose.

"Into the circle, right?" He asked. She nodded in response. Link took a step back, then ran for the edge, jumping off. He pulled out the sail cloth and floated safely to the ground. He looked up and smiled at her. "Was that good?"

"Perfect." She said, and to his surprise, she jumped off the statue after him. Panic rose within him and he ran to catch her. Just in time his outstretched arms caught her and she landed safely. Link gently set her down.

Zelda dusted herself off then looked up to the blonde boy and smiled. "Seeing as you won today, and the ceremony went so well… and the weather is really nice… would you like to go flying with me?" She whispered the last part of the sentence. She didn't understand why she was so nervous, and she was terrified her legs would fall out from underneath her. She felt relief when Link nodded his head and gave her a breathtaking smile.

Link reached out and took Zelda's hand, causing them both to blush at the suddenness. Neither of them said a word but walked to Link's loftwing. He helped her up, and followed closely behind.

In the air, their hair whipped in the wind and they leaned back onto the bird to absorb the suns warmth. "This is perfect." Link murmured. It was so quite and with the buzz of the wind, Zelda almost didn't hear it.

"I agree." She replied with the same softness, then louder she said, "Link… Today was amazing. One of the best I have shared with you. I will always remember it. It was wonderful… There is something I have been meaning to talk to you about. We have been best friends for as long as I can remember. And recently… well, I have these feelings that I haven't really been able to understa-"

"Stop." Link said, a little too fiercely. Zelda's heart stopped. Did he not want to hear this? Her palms were sweaty, and she could feel a sadness that wasn't welcome. "I know what you're going to say and… well…" He sighed in frustration. " I feel…" He shook his head then look at Zelda. Her heart was in her throat. But something changed in Links features. They softened, he smiled. "I'm sorry." He even laughed.  
And then… both his hands were touching her face. His fingers soft on her fair cheeks. Zelda felt her heart stop again, but it was better this time. This was is… it was what she had been wanting for months. Maybe even the past few years. Then his lips touched hers, and it was as if a spark went off in both of them. It was an intense, powerful kiss, but it was short. They were both left smiling.

"I'm sorry," Link repeated. "I didn't mean to scare you. I… I feel the same way." He laughed a little and they both smiled, staring into each others eyes.

Then it happed.

It was like an explosion of light went off behind Zelda, and Link flinched, grabbing her arm and pulling her closer to him. But the bird dropped downward. He let go of Zelda to hold onto the bird so he wouldn't fall. But Zelda did. The tornado appeared out of no-where and sucked her down into it. It pulled Link and the loftwing back, and he lost his grip and was almost sucked in. Debris hit him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. He gasped for air, and blacked out.

**A/N: I lost track of time and already went against my word. Im sorry. Its only like... a week late ... I think. Oh well. Sometimes the story Italics and stuff changes when it transfers, and I dont spot it... but Im trying hard to fix my mistakes. c:**


	4. Skyward Sword

Chapter 4~ Skyward Sword

Link felt as though he were falling, but couldn't wake up. Everything around him was black, or were his eyes closed? He couldn't tell. "Link…?" He heard someone whisper his name. Slowly his eyes focused in on a shiny blue light, and what looked like a female figure emerging out of it.  
"We're all waiting for you! The time has come for you to awaken, chosen one. You are vital to a mission of great importance." He closed his eyes and saw Zelda's face. He turned himself around in the air and saw the same monster from his previous dream opening his mouth awaiting Link.

Link jumped up out of his bed, covered in sweat. His vision was bleary and he rubbed his hands against his eyes. "Good, you're awake." Link heard the headmaster say beside him. "We found you outside the plaza, your Loftwing had brought you away from the tornado. But you were cold, and limp, we all feared the worst. Though here you are, alive and well, with no harsh injuries, and I am grateful for that." Link looked away from the older man, he knew what was coming next, and he felt guilty for what had happened. "But where is Zelda, Link. What happened to her?"

"We had decided to go flying after the ceremony," Link began. As he continued to tell the other man what happened, he started to feel very sad. His heart ached, and he missed the young girl already. His heart stung every time he thought of the possibility of her being dead, which was every few moments, and it took all his willpower to stay calm.

"I'm so sorry," Link said when he was finished, leaving out a small, unnecessary detail. "I should have tried harder."

"Its fine. Its fine… I know if you could have you would have, but that was no ordinary storm…" Gaepora said. Link knew that. It was very similar to the storm that had killed his parents. He stood up quickly and began to put on his shoes. "Stop! Do not push yourself. You are still recovering. Please tell me, though, when you were with Zelda today did anything about her seem off?"

"No…" Link said quietly. "Though… she thought she heard someone calling to her."

Gaepora shook his head. "I'm sure she will be fine…" With that the man left, looking back at Link just before he closed the door.

Link laied back down in his bed and tried to sleep. He tossed and turned for what felt like hours. "L… ink…" He heard. Sitting up he strained his hearing. "L… i… n… k…" He stood up, walked to his door, and pushed it open. Down the hall he saw the same blue light and same woman from his dream. He shook his head, and looked back to the spot. She was still there. His feet moved and he went after her, only to have her float backwards up the stairs while he ran forward. He ran past the head masters room and the girls' rooms, following the strange blue and purple woman. Then she disappeared through the outside door. Quietly he pushed on it and followed her outside. He chased her over the bridge, and up the floating staircase to the goddess statue. Finally he took a second to stop when she disappeared over the ledge.

"Please come back." He muttered. "What are you?" He walked over to the edge and peered down. To his surprise it dropped about 5 feet into a walkway behind the island. While following the woman he saw the cat.

"Mya?" The cat turned around and hissed. Link inched passed it as it tried to attack and continued to follow the woman. He came to a point where there was a gap between the island and a smaller portion of island, he ran quick and jumped up to the ledge, swinging his legs over the side and pulling himself up. He was considering heading back, thinking it wasn't worth it. But he had already made it this far and decided not to give up. Further up he climbed up 10 feet of vines and was working up a serious sweat. He made it to the top and realized he was at the goddess statue. He followed her much slower than before to the front of the marble, she floated backwards into it, and as she did, a doorway appeared. Link gazed in amazement.

Link ran his hand across the smooth stone of the inside of the statue as he walked down the Holloway. The blue light was shining through an archway he was sure opened up into a large room.

As he expected, it did. It was hollowed out on the inside, with a platform in the middle. In the center, there was a sword sticking out of a chiseled rock. Behind that there was a small silver decoration. The sword pulsed with the same blue light the woman gave off. He started to approach it, and as he did, the woman flew out of it.

"Chosen one, We have been waiting for you." She bowed low to Link. "I am Fi, and I was created long ago, I must aid you in fulfilling the great destiny that is your burden to carry." He voice was stiff, almost mechanic, but had a sweet jingle to it. "You must take this sword. I know you have been seeing me in your strange dreams. And your uncertainty surrounding the fate of your beloved." Link frowned at her.

"Zelda?"

"To minimize your uncertainty, allow me to share some information. If I am correct, my projections indicate that this information has a high probability of altering your current emotional state. Your Zelda is still alive." The woman gave him a blank expression as he started to shake, his heart beating against the inside of his chest. "And she is another chosen one fated to be part of the same great mission. Therefore, should you meet with her, I highly recommend you take up this sword and set out to search for her. Are you ready to accept this sword?"

Link ran forward, up the small platform, where the sword was. He stopped before it and watched the light pulse in the shining metal. "In the name of my creator, draw the sword and raise it skyward." Link nodded and took one more step closer. He positioned himself to grab it, wrapping his hands around the hilt, and pulled it out. Taking it in one hand, he raised it to the sky.

When he did a bright light shone down and poured into the sword. It filled up and the sword shone with great brightness. Link felt his jaw drop, it was beautiful and breathtaking. "Wow." He breathed.

"Recognition complete, Master…"

"What?" He said looking up at Fi.

"Link… You are my master." He frowned, he didn't think of himself of any type of master.

"Link!" The headmaster said behind him. He turned around quickly, he hadn't been aware someone had been watching him. "Ive had my suspicions, but up until this very moment I wasn't sure. But here we are, in the Chamber of the Sword, they said the legend would appear here one day… 'When the light of the goddess's sword shines bright, the great apocalypse will wake from its long slumber. Do not fear, for it is then that a youth, guided by my hand, shall reveal himself in a place most sacred.'" He shook his head slowly. "I cant believe it. 'The youth will be guided by one born of the blade. One who is also youthful in likeness yet wise with knowledge immeasurable."

Fi stared blankly at them. "It appears that critical sections of the passage have been lost over the generations." The two men looked at each other. "'The youth who draws forth the guiding sword shall be known as the goddess's chosen hero, and it is he who possesses an unbreakable spirit. He shall be burdened with the task of abolishing the shadow of apocalypse from the land. Such a destiny. With the spirit of the blade at his side, he shall soar over the clouds and plummet below… United with the spirit maiden, they shall bring forth a piercing light that resurrects the land.' Master, you must embark on a great journey beneath the clouds to the realm of the surface. It is only through this journey that you can fulfill the mission set before you by my creator, the goddess."

"Link, this is not easy task. Tales of what live on the surface are many, and no one knows which tales are true. In living memory, no one has ever set foot there." Link felt himself grimace. He had already made up his mind. He didn't care if it was his destiny, he wanted to save Zelda, and that's all there was to it.

Fi produced a map section from thin air and placed it on the altar under the metal decoration. "This tablet will illuminate a path through the clouds to the land below. Master, you must hit the crest with a Skyward Strike." She said, referring to the metal. "The blasts are formed of pure energy that charges within your blade when you lift it skyward." She explained further.

Link walked to the altar, unsheathed his sword, raised it Skyward, then hit the crest. It illuminated and started to spin rapidly.

"Master Link, it is done. Until now, a cloud barrier created bu the goddess has separated the world you know from the one below. The tablet in the altar has created a small rift in the barrier. You can use it to travel between the skyloft and the surface below. I shall follow you wherever you go. I reside within your sword and will accompany you." Fi then disappeared and a ball of light shot into Links new sword.

"Link, I know this all must be hard to soak in, but I assure you, you will do fine. Out of every generation of knights I have seen come from the academy, you are by far the best. If anyone were to take on this quest, it would be you." Gaepore told him. Then he looked away. "Also, please bring back my daughter. I don't know what dangers you may have to face, Link, but I believe in you. We all do. This is only the start of your journey. Please, see it through and prove the legends true."

Link stood there for a moment and stared at his feet. He was fast, and could fight well with and without a sword, plus he was strong. The thought of traveling to the surface below made him a little nervous, but he had made up his mind when he found out Zelda was alive. "I will." He said strongly.

The man nodded. "It is almost morning, and we have both had quite a long night. You should get a little rest and those cloths… They don't look up to the task ahead. Your knight uniform is ready, pick it up before you leave tomorrow afternoon." Slowly they both left, and Link went to his room and his face hit the pillow.

He had expected to fall asleep instantly like he normally did, but this reaction startled him. A single, cold, wet tear ran down his cheek then touched the pillow leaving a damp spot. He sat up and whipped his face. No more tears came, and he was grateful for that. He felt silly when he cried, he was stronger then that. But tonight was different. Link had lost his parents a long time ago, and Zelda had been his best friend for as long as he could remember, and right at that moment… he felt like he had lost her too. He pulled himself back into his bed and tried to sleep. Thoughts spun in every direction. Where was Zelda? How would he get to her in time? In time for what, exactly? What was on the surface. He knew none of this, and eventually his mind shut down.


	5. The Surface

Chapter 5~ The Surface

There was a loud knock on Link's door. He pulled his face out off his pillow. "Yes?" He said.

His closest friend, other than Zelda, poked his head through the door. "I came to drop these off." He said sadly. Link walked over to the door, opened it further, and took the green knight outfit.

"Thanks," Link said. "So I guess you heard?"

Pippet nodded. "I think we all have. Its okay though," He added quickly. "No one blames you. But you have a chance at saving her. So we wish you good luck. The potions woman has a gift for you, and I'm sure you want to pick up some other things while you're down there. And if you can… please return as soon as possible." With that the Knight in yellow left the room.

Link had made his way down to the plaza, passing by people who stared at him with his head down. He hated the attention, and it didn't get better when he went inside.

"He's goin' to save Zelda." He heard an older man say.  
"Something about the surface, I'll be so upset if they don't make it back!" Another woman hissed. Link tried his hardest to ignore the whispers. There was just too much of it though. He was soon finding himself nervous and upset.

"Come here, boy!" He heard someone call as he walked away from a little shop that sold equipment, like shields. Across the walkway, the woman who sold potions was smiling and waving him over. Link recalled what Pippet had said this morning and walked over to her. "Now, listen boy. We all heard 'bout the journey you're 'bout to go on. We all wish you the best o' luck. To help you out I'm gonna give you this bottle, full with red potion. Now, go save your girl." Link blushed horribly at this.

"Th-thank you…" He mumbled as she hurried him along.

Outside Link looked up to the sky. Off in the distance he say a large pillar of green light, and headed in that direction. People watched as he got closer to the docks, but no one stopped him. He half wished they would, but that was wrong. He had to save his best friend. He had to save his Zelda.

Before he knew it he was taking his dive off the dock and calling his Loftwing. The bird flew up underneath him, breaking his fall. He held on to the birds neck and buried his face into his feathers.

"Don't worry, boy, I'll be back pretty soon. If not with Zelda then to get supplies. I'm sure it will be a long journey, and I'll need plenty of them. I promise nothing TOO bad will happen…" He said, more trying to convince himself then the bird.

Link felt he approached the green light too fast. His Loftwing started circling the gaping hole below.

Green. That is what the surface looks like. Green grass. Green leaves. Green STUFF he had never even seen before. Link looks around and takes it in. It is not a horrible place. It is beautiful. 'Almost as beautiful as Zelda…' he thinks. He was amazed at just how beautiful it was. And then he REALLY looked around.

There was a large, worn-down looking structure a little ways ahead of him, and a large hole with a ramp that lead to some fancy pole beside him. Both were quite amazing views. He decided to head to the temple first.  
Inside the temple was huge, with a stag like deck in the back with two large doors. In front of those doors was a short woman with a strange red robe on.

"Hello, Link." She said. Link stared. "I know you are not fond of talking. That is okay, you need to listen anyways. There is not a lot of time to waste, so I will make it quick. Your dear friend, Zelda, came to me not long ago, and asked me to help guide her on her way. You are to follow, and help. She has went to the Faron Woods. Go, hurry, out that door." She nodded her head in the direction of a door off the side of the building.

Link headed toward it. "Thank you." He called over his shoulder. He wasn't sure about the old woman, but it was his only lead. He ran out the door, down a path where he soon came across a strange creature standing on two legs, surrounded by monsters.

"LEAVE ME BE!" He called out, swatting at the red monsters. They had wooden swords, and daggers, while the other creature had nothing to defend himself. Link quickly rushed into action, running with his sword out at the monsters. One noticed him a moment too late, screeching as Links blade sliced through its thick neck. The creature gasped for air, and choked on its own blood. The other monsters noticed, a few tried to flee, but they were no match. Link quickly finished them off, watching them fall to the floor. When he finished, he fell to his knees.

"Are… are you okay?" He heard the other creature, a man of sorts, ask.

"I… I'm fine." He huffed.

"You sure? That was pretty brave what you just did…"

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine, really. And thanks. But I have to go, I'm really busy." Link said, standing and dusting himself off. "Oh! By any chance did you see a blonde haired girl go by?" He asked.

The man looked up a thought for a moment. "Yeah, a few hours ago, while the sun was rising. Didn't speak to her really, she was too far away. She was headed towards that old temple thing, deeper in the forest. Scary down there, hope she's okay. If I were you, I wouldn't go." He said, but then added, "But, you seem to manage pretty well in a fight, so who knows? Good luck."

Link nodded his head and ran down the path, further into the woods. As he progresses, an enormous tree started to come into view over the much smaller trees branches. Fi's voice travels in the air. "There is a probability Zelda is somewhere around here." He smiles to himself, and continues to walk, slower, to take in the surroundings.

The trees in the woods were much taller and thicker than the ones in the Skyloft. He had only seen a few others like the ones down on the surface up there. Large fruits grew from their branches, and small birds pecked away at their hard exteriors, trying to get something to eat. Brightly colored butterflies flew around patches of white and yellow flowers. The only butterflies Link had ever seen were tiny, and orange.  
Link soon came to another opening, where a small black and white creature was sitting down eating a broken up piece of fruit. When it saw Link, he started to shake. "Don't hurt me, koo-weep!"

"What? I'm not going to hurt you…" Link laughed. The little creature looked up at him.

"You wont?" Link shook his head. "Oh, okay. I'm Machi, a Kikwi. You know what's weird. An animal just like you ran by a few minutes ago, but with longer hair and a longer dress."

"I'm not wearing a dress?!" Link laughed. "Did you catch her name?"

"Nope. But she was running from a lot of those red monsters. But the Kikwi elder helped her escape them. He's a little farther that way, your friend might still be with him. Oh, if you see him, please tell him I'm safe?" Machi asked. Link nodded and walked in the direction the Kikwi had pointed in, faster than before.

But it was no use. Soon the sun had set, and Link wandered off the path, losing himself in the thick woods. He stumbled on roots that had grown up above the ground. At one point he fell, hitting his face on the rough ground. When he propped himself up he felt his chin burning, and a warm drop of blood run down his neck. "Wonderful." He muttered, pulling himself up. He stumbled further into the forest, brushing his hands and arms on rough bark and thorns, before he finally gave up and sat down against a tree. It was well into the night, and he was so deep into the woods that the leaves and branches blocked out any light. Figures moved around in the darkness, real or imaginary, he wasn't sure. They made him worry, not because they scared him, but in case they scared Zelda, who was hopefully still out there.

Eventually he was woken up to laughter.

"He looks a little silly in that little green dress and white tights."

"Now now, don't make fun of him. He looks a little beat up, maybe we should help." A deeper voice said.

"Okay, Bucha." Link opened his eyes to see an enormous Kikwi standing over him. "OH! Machi told me about this funny creature yesterday evening. His name is… Link!" He told Bucha.

"Yes, yes… You must be the young girls friend." He said. Link nodded.

"Do you know where she is?" He asked.

"She left at dawn, and headed to that old temple. I assume you want to follow her?" He nodded again. "Hm… well, a few of my tribe members have went missing, if you can find them for me, I will be happy to point you in the right direction." Link agreed to this task and went out to find the other Kikwis. He found the path in the daylight once more and search high and low. Hours dragged on, and he couldn't find the Kikwis anywhere. He leaned against a tree. He was close to just giving up on finding them and just looking for the temple without help, when he heard a strange noise above.

"Kiweek?" Link looked up to see a small creature, like Machi, waving down at him. "C-can you help me down from here?" It asked. Link looked around, trying to find a way to help it. He remembered a few months ago, in the skyloft, there had been a large bug higher up in one of their bigger trees. One of the younger kids asked Link to help him get the bug down, and the only way he could was by rolling into the tree. Link repeated the moved and the kikwi fell from the branch. He landed on the ground. "Ouch… Well, at least it worked. Thank you for getting me down."

"You're welcome. By the way, the elder is worried about you, and wants you to go see him."

"Really? Alright! I'll be on my way. My name is Lopsa, thank you, again." She said before running away.  
Within a few more hours Link had found two more kikwis. With the sun setting, he ran back to where he had last seen the elder. When he made it to the small clearing the elder, along with the smaller kikwis, looked at him, he guessed they were smiling, but he couldn't tell. "Thank you, Link, for finding my tribe members. Now, as promised, I will tell you where your friend went. Behind that big tree there, there is a small structure. Go up it, and there is a cave. When you get through the cave, it opens up into a smaller part of the woods, the Deep Woods, where the temple is. You can't miss it." He said. Link started to turn to walk away. "Wait, before you go, take this." He handed him a wooden slingshot. Link thanked him and continued forward.

He found his way to the structure. He looked up and saw something bright, shining at the top. He squinted his eyes to get a better look, and he noticed it was golden-blonde hair. His eyes got wide, and his heart-beat picked up.

"ZELDA!"

**A/N: Sorry I havnt wrote anything in a while. School started, some personal stuff, but its alright now. When I wrote this in word it looked long, but now it doesnt... sorry if it's a little rushed. The next chapter will be much better, promise. c:**


	6. Sleep

Chapter 6 ~ Bad Sleep

Link ran to her as fast as he could, pulling her into an embrace. "Oh, Zelda…" He sighed. He felt her wrap her thin arms around his neck, hugging him back.

"Link…" She whispered against his shirt. How long had it been, three, four days? It felt like forever.

"Are you okay?" He asked her, pulling back just a little to see her face. Everything seemed perfect, her large blue eyes staring into his, filled with happiness and confusion.

"I-I'm fine, Link. You… came after me. I wasn't sure you would, or if you even thought I was alive…"

"Honestly, Zelda, at first I was terrified you weren't. I was so afraid I had lost you, too… But I found out you were still alive, and got here as soon as I could. I've been running around here for two days looking for you, and this Kikwi had me run some errands and now…" He smiled.

"Now I know you're okay."

She smiled too, before her eyes got wide and her light pink lips form an 'o'. "Link! What happened to your chin?!" She asked, putting her hands to his face. He remembered falling the night before.

"Scratched."

"That is NOT a scratch. That is a gash, that might need stitches. Link, you have to go back up to the surface and get it fixed."

"What? No. And leave you here by yourself again? Not going to happen. Plus, my loftwing won't be able to hear my call all the way up there."

"Link, please, for me. I'm going to have to go on my own anyways. The bird statues around here shoot out a huge column of wind, that goes all the way up past the cloud barrier. You can use the sail cloth I made you as a parachute to ride up it. Once you're there, you can call your loftwing."

He shook his head. "No. I wont do it. I'm sorry, but I just can't."

She frowned at him. She looked around, remembering something. She pointed at a small pond by a ledge. "Well, if you wont go back to get it stitched up, let me clean it for you." Link agreed to that and they walked in silence to the pond. Zelda sat down at the waters edge and motioned for Link to do the same. Link really looked at her, taking in how beautiful she was.

She wore a long white gown, with a purple necklace, bracelets, and sandals. Her hair hung down with small portions wrapped in the same bright purple. Every inch of her outfit seemed to be made to make her look even more amazing. He smiled at her, and she smiled back.

Zelda pulled a blue cloth out of a small back that hung from her shoulder and dipped it in the water, letting a small portion soak it up. Then she moved to clean him face. Wiping away dirt and dried blood. It hurt a little, making him wince, but he waited through it. Then she pulled the cloth away from his face. He grabbed her hand before she could pull it away completely.

His breath caught, his mouth felt dry, his heart hammered in his chest. When he kissed her, they really didn't have time to talk about it, or them, too much. They had a little, before the kiss, but then the tornado came… He absentmindedly ran his thumb over the back of her hand. "Uh…" He said, then cleared his throat, thankful he wasn't standing. "We didn't talk much about how we felt, and I know you tried, and I'm sorry for interrupting last time, even if it was, uh… well, you know. This time, I want to tell you how I feel.

"When you fell into that tornado, I thought you were gone for good. I thought you wouldn't come back. I realized the full extent of my feelings. I didn't just almost lose my best friend, I almost lost the girl I love. I know, we aren't even really together, but I love you. And I'm sure I have loved you for a while, but now I know I do. I really do." He said.

She smiled up at his, tears in her eyes. She giggled. "I - I love you, too, Link." With that he kissed her again, pulling her against him. She responded by pushing him back a little, falling on top of him as they kissed. They were both nervous, Link running his hands up and down her back, and Zelda kissing him from his lips, to his jaw-line, and back again. But they knew they couldn't let it go any further. He pulled away.  
"Its getting dark. Lets go to sleep." He said. They walked back up to the structure, hand in hand, and laid down in a corner. Link pulled off his tunic for her to use as a blanket. She rested her head on his chest, waiting to fall asleep. There were no words said as they fell asleep, just petting each others hair and holding hands.

Cool morning air blew Zelda's hair in her face, tickling her nose, waking her up. The sun was starting to rise, giving everything a whitish hue. She looked beside her to see he life long best friend still sleeping. And he would be asleep for a while, she knew. She started to feel sad, but she knew what she had to do. She reached into her bag and pulled out a paper and a led stick. Tears streamed down the side of her face. She folded up the note and laid it beside him with a small white flower. She kissed his forehead before standing up and running off, down towards the temple.

The sun was high in the sky when Link woke up. His body tensed when he realized Zelda wasn't there. He jumped up from where he was and ran out of the building. "Zelda?" He called. "ZELDA?!" His heart was racing and his hands were shaking. He collapsed on the ground and shook. He had lost her… tears formed in his eyes and he tried to shake them away. 'Maybe… Maybe she's just washing off or something?' He thought. 'No need to over react.' Slowly he picked himself up off the ground and walked back to where he had been laying, and noticed a flower and a piece of paper beside his green tunic. His stomach dropped, but he picked it up and read it anyways.

'Link, yesterday was amazing. You have no clue how happy I am that we talked, and spent time together. I'm really sorry though, I had to go. Your chin is going to get infected, and for some reason I feel like we still have to go our own way on this for a little while. But if we run into each other again, I will be more then happy to spend as much time as I can with you. I love you, Link. Please forgive me?' Was written. He felt crushed, but she was right. They probably shouldn't have crossed paths yet.

He put back on his green tunic, folded the note back up and put it in his adventure pouch.

It was afternoon when he made it to the large temple. "Master Link," Fi said, appearing from his sword. "I suggest you visit the Skyloft before entering the temple. It is very dangerous, and you may want to get more supplies to help aid you."

"Thank you, Fi…" Link said. She said nothing in return, disappearing back behind him. Link looked around the small area around the temple, spotting a old, grey bird statue. He rushed over to it, remembering something Zelda had told him about them, he couldn't remember what, though. He examined it for a few minutes. Nothing was unusual about the statue. No knobs, or buttons that would help him return home. He started to believe it was useless. "Dear Goddess, help me." He muttered.

And just like that he was swept off his feet. He was thrown up into the air, above the tree tops by strong gusts of wind. It tossed him around, and then out of its upward spiral. He began to fall back towards the surface, panic rose inside him.

The sailcloth. Link dug his hand into his adventure pouch as he fell, finding the cloth he had used to fall gracefully a few times before. He let it loose, and drifted downward safely. When his feel touched the ground he collapsed, feeling weak, dizzy, and a start of a headache.  
After an hour he stood up and walked over to the still blowing bird statue. He grasped the sailcloth firmly with both hands, and walked into the wind.

People stared at him as he walked from the bazaar to the knight academy. He head a few whispers. "He's back already?" "Where's Zelda?" And what made him feel best, "Thank Goddess he's okay." He tried not to look into their prying eyes, afraid it would make them say something to him. Stuff he didn't want to deal with.

When he opened the door to the knight academy, Karane was the first to see him. "Oh my Goddess, Link! What the heck is on your face? Is that a cut? What happened down there?!" She squeaked, running to him. She grabbed his arm and dragged him down the hall. "You need to get to the infirmary, now. How long has that been there? It looks like its getting infected. Did you not bring some heart potion? You are a reckless boy going down to that… that PLACE without anything to heal you. Speaking of that place, how was it? I bet its scary. Were there monsters? People? Did you see Zelda?" Karane had always had a big mouth, and she loved to talk. Quite the opposite of Link. Sometimes, for him, it was just too much.

"Please, stop… talking." He sighed. She turned around and faced him. She gave him a good, long look before she said anything else.

"Alright, just 'cause you look so stressed, and we're at the infirmary now." She said, opening the door behind her.

A tall, thin lady with dark blonde hair was working, tiding up the room as she went. "Hello, Karane and- OH! LINK! What are you doing here? Oh goodness, look at that gash! Come on, boy, sit down. Let me take a look at that." Link was taken from Karane, to the nurse, Silvia. Silvia had worked there as long as Link could remember, helping the future knights when they got an injury. One time, a few years back, Zelda had thrown a basket to pick small little barriers with up into a tree. Link, being a good best friend, climbed up the tree to retrieve it for her. On his way back down a branch underneath him broke, sending him flying to the ground. When he hit the ground, there was a loud snapping sound. Zelda rushed to help her friend, and brought him to the nurse. Silvia had told him he had broken his leg, and within a month, had him fixed up, brand new. Link didn't know why he was so grateful for her help that specific occasion. She had helped him with much worse.

Soon the wound was cleaned up and stitched together. 6 stitches. It had gotten real close to getting infected, and he had got to her just in time. Silvia made a large bottle of heart potion for him.

"But you can't have it until you leave tomorrow. I'm making you stay here overnight so your skin can heal to the stitches, and you wont do something that will mess it up."

"B-b-but I have to go-"

"No. Not today." She said, and handed him the bottle. "Drink this, it will help."

Link took it. He swallowed it in just a few gulps. Very quickly his skin started to tingle and his lids felt heavy. "Why is…?"

"I infused it with some herbs that will help you rest. See you in the morning." She said cheerfully.

Link blinked a few times. He tied to stay up but the potion wouldn't allow it. Soon he was back asleep.

**A/N: A short update. Been busy :c And sick. Sorry :c  
Reviews would be appreciated c:**


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